Puttee



Jan. 11, 1938. R. A. LE FEVRE PUTTEE' Filed March 27, 1956 5 IN ENTOR Raga A.Z ey're ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UiTE STATES PUTTEE application March 27, 1936, Serial No. 71,191

3' Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide a puttee that is made preferably of leather and will cover the upper part of the shoe and the leg up to and including the calf.

Another object of the invention is to provide a puttee that will shed the water and will be weatherproof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a puttee that is made extra wide and can be wrapped around the leg with four turns, and will provide ample support for the various parts of the leg. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide puttee, the upper portion of which is composed of two pieces of leather sprung together and connected by a long seam.

Another object of the invention is to make the upper part of the puttee so that it will naturally conform to the upper part of the leg.

Another object of the invention is to provide the lower part of the puttee with a gaiter that will cover the front and sides of the shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide the lower part of the puttee with a hook that engages in the front of the quarter of the shoe and anchors the lower part of the puttee in the correct starting position for wrapping.

These and other objects of the invention will be illustrated in the drawing, described in the specification, and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the puttee complete.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the right leg and foot with the puttee wrapped thereon, the leg being viewed from the outside.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the right leg and foot with the puttee wrapped thereon, the leg being viewed from the inside.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the hook and puttee, the section being taken on the line t.r4:v of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a pattern or blank of one portion of the gaiter.

Figure 6 is a pattern or blank of another portion of the gaiter.

Figure '7 is a pattern or blank of the lower portion of the wrap of the puttee that goes around the leg.

Figure 8 is a pattern or blank of one of the pieces in the upper part of the puttee that wraps around the calf of the leg.

Figure 9 is a pattern or blank of the collar in the upper part of the puttee.

Figure 10 is a section on the line Nix-40a: of

Figure 1, showing how the collar is sprung on the piece to which it is attached.

Figure 11 is a detail of a modified form of the gaiter that would preferably be used with a high cut shoe.

Figures 2 and 3 show the puttee wrapped on the right leg, and Figures 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 show the puttee as made to fit the left leg, it being understood that the puttee for the right leg will follow the outline of these figures as viewed through the drawing from the back thereof.

In the drawing like reference numerals indicate like parts.

The puttee which constitutes my invention comp-rises several pieces of material, leather being preferably the material used. These pieces are described as follows:

In the drawing reference numeral l indicates a portion of the puttee that is wrapped around first from the ankle up. This piece conforms practically to the pattern shown in Figure '7. 2 indicates the piece in the upper part of the puttee that is wrapped around the calf of the leg. 3

' indicates the collar which is joined by a long seam to the upper edge of the piece 2, the parts being joined in such manner that they will not lie fiat but will normally assume the shape illustrated in Figure 10. The meeting edges of the parts 2 and 3 are not straight lines but are curved, which causes the parts to be sprung with relation to each other forming a trough or barrel-shaped section which, when wrapped around the calf of the leg, will naturally conform thereto.

On the intermediate part of the collar 3 is fastened a buckle 4, and on the outer end of the collar is formed a tongue 5 which'engages with the buckle 4. -'I'his tongue is pierced with a series of holes which engage with the tongue of the buckle, maln'ng the upper part of the puttee adjustable to fit legs of different sizes.

It will be understood that this puttee is to be used preferably on shoes that are closed by lacing, in which case the hook 8 will engage over the edge of the quarter of the shoe between any two of the eyelets. It will also be understood in a large shoe the hook will engage preferably between two eyelets near the top of the quarter, and in a small shoe the hook will engage between two eyelets near the bottom of the quarter, and with shoes of intermediate size the hook will engage over the edge'of the quarter between these extreme points. By making the hook engage on the quarter in this way, the seam 9 can always be located correctly between the adjacent edges of the two quarters, or in other words, can be located on the up and down center line of the front of the shoe. In this way it is made adjustable to different size shoes.

It will also be understood that this hook may engage in the buttonholes of a buttoned shoe, and that the end of the hook can be pointed so as to engage in the eyelets of a laced shoe.

The part 6 of the socalled gaiter portionof the puttee is formed so that the left hand portion of it, as shown in Figure 1, will cover the side of the shoe on the outside of the foot, the recessed part I5 being directly over the back of the heel, and the part under the recess and to the left and right thereof will cover the heel of the shoe at the back of the foot, and the seam 9 will cover the instep in front, lying centrally thereon, and the part I to the right of the. seam will cover the side of the shoe on the outside of the foot and will overlap the part of the gaiter that is at the left hand end of the part 6 in Figure 1.

The long part I wraps around the ankle and the lower part of the leg, and the upper parts 2 and 3 wrap around the calf and are fastened thereon by means of the tongue 5 and buckle 4.

A strap I0 is attached to the part I of the gaiter and extends under the arch of the foot. On the end of the strap is a snap buckle II that engages in either one or the other of the eyelets I2 or I3, as may be required by the size of the shoe.

In Figure 1 I have shown a puttee that is adapted to fit and be worn on the left foot and leg. By reversing the shape of the parts and keeping them symmetrical with the parts shown, the puttee will be adapted for use on the right foot and leg.

r In use, the hook 8 is first engaged over the edge of the quarter of the shoe, and the gaiter is wrapped around the shoe. Then the lower portion I is wrapped around the ankle and the leg and the upper portions 2 and 3 are wrapped around the calf of the leg and are fastened in place by the tongue 5 and buckle 4. The gaiter is also fastened in place by fastening the strap It? under the arch of the foot and fastening the end of it in place in the eyelet I2 or I3. When so placed, the puttee is ready for wear.

This puttee will naturally shed water. It is considerably wider than the canvas puttees ordinarily used and this makes it possible to wrap it around the foot and leg with a small number of turns.

It will be understood that the shoe shown on the foot in Figures 2 and 3 is a low cut shoe, the top of the shoe being shown in lines made with dashes and dots. If the puttee is worn with a high cut shoe the gaiter of the puttee will be cut back on each side of the seam 9, as shown in Figure 11.

It will also beunderstood that thegaiter and the part I are cut away as indicated at I5. At this part it arches over thetendon in the back of the foot and leg, and by cutting away this portion'of the puttee it better avoids chafing the skin.

It will also be understood that at the seam I6 the part I lies under the gaiter, and at the seam I! the part I lies over the gaiter.

In the sample from which the drawing was prepared, the total length of the part I between the corners 20 and 2I is 24% inches, and the other dimensions of the part I and of the other parts are in proportion.

It will also be understood that the bottom line of the gaiter, as shown in Figure 2, comes above "the ankle bone on the outside of the foot and the seam II comes above the ankle bone on the inside of the foot, so that chafing or rubbing on the-ankle bone is avoided; and it will also be 7 understood that the top of the puttee, when put 'in proper position, will stand practically on a horizontal line, as is shown in Figures 2 and 3.

i I claim:

1. A puttee for covering the lower leg, comprising a lower portion constituting a gaiter and adapted to cover the upper portion of the foot, said gaiter portion being made of two pieces joined together by a seam, said seam being adapted to be located over the center line of the instep of the shoe, said pieces being sprung upwardly along the lower portion of said seam, a band attached to one side of the gaiter and having a curved outline, the upper portion of said being made of two pieces joined together by. a long seam, said sea-m extending from the inner edge of the band near the end of the band and extending obliquely along and into said band to a point approaching the longitudinal midpoint of the band, and being sprung across said seam, said band being adapted to be wrapped around the leg up to and including the calf of the leg, and means for fastening the upper portion of the puttee in place on the calf of the leg.

2. A puttee for covering the lower leg, com prising a lower portion constituting a gaiter and adapted to cover the upper portion of the foot, said gaiter portion being made of two pieces joined together by a seam, said seam being adapted to be located over the center line of the instep of the shoe, said pieces being sprung upwardly along the lower portion of said seam, a band attached to one side of the gaiter and having a curved outline, the upper portion of said band being made of two pieces joined together by a long oblique seam extending from one side of the band near the end to the other side and being sprung across said seam, said band being adapted to be wrapped around the leg up to and including the calf of the leg, means for fastening the upper portion of the puttee in place on the calf of the leg, and means for fastening the lower portion in place on the foot.

3. The combination in a puttee of a gaiter adapted to cover the upper portion of the shoe, a band attached to said gaiter to wrap around the leg, the upper portion of the band and the gaiter being cut away to form a recess that fits around the tendon at the back of the foot.

RALPH A. LE FEVRE.

CERTIFICATE OECORRECTION. v Patent No. 2,l0h,75l. January 11, .1958,

} RALPH A. LE FEVREQ It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the grant, lines 5 and 11 and in the eading to the printed specification, line 5, for "Max Grassman read Max rossman; as shownb; the record of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of February/A, D. 19

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

ii -q 

